Plain City approves new design

Terrie Stephenson

PLAIN CITY — The city council finally approved a design for the new building and bowery at Town Square Park.

Councilwoman LaFray Kelley had asked the council to consider a design that included 12 extra feet of storage for a sound trailer, but her motion to that effect died for lack of a second.

Councilman Bruce Higley moved to have the bowery design include restrooms and two storage areas, but without the 12 feet of extra storage. Kelley voted against the motion, but Higley and two other council members voted to approve the design.

Councilman Brent White was not present, but said in a written statement that he felt the facility should be for restrooms and a bowery. He said some storage would be all right, but to add a bay for a trailer would be relatively expensive space and it would be more economical to add storage to the existing parks building.

“What I was proposing actually was to categorize our storage,” said Kelley. “If we could put the arts and celebration storage at the square, especially for the arts, it would be closer. That’s where we use it, that’s where the arts festival is.”

Kelley said the cost of the storage would be about the same as the cost to add a metal building to the parks building, approximately $3,200.

“The only difference is the cost (at the Town Square) is already covered by the grant, where at the parks building it would have to come out of the budget,” said Kelley.

She said the city would return about $5,000 in grant money if it was not used at the Town Square building and bowery.

“I would like to see that maintained as a bowery and restroom,” said Mayor Jay Jenkins. “There is plenty of room for the sound trailer at the other building.”

Higley said he thought the two storage areas would be enough without the added 12 feet and said he would rather have more bowery space and more room for families to use it.

Councilman Mark Lowther said he was greedy and hoped for both storage and bowery space.

“It seems all storage and a little bit of bowery space, but storage is beneficial too,” said Lowther.

Higley said he appreciated all the work Kelley had done on the project, but said he was trying to think of what the residents would want.